This wasn’t the start to the season the Dakota Ridge Eagles had in mind.

Just two days after dropping their season opener 7-4 to Mountain Vista, the Eagles had the daunting task of playing at Cherry Creek in the Bruins’ opener and fell to 0-2 after a 15-5 loss in six innings on March 11.

While Dakota Ridge was overmatched, facing star pitcher Tito Nava, it was the Eagles defense that allowed this game to get out of hand early.

Ben Allen wasn’t nervous for his first varsity swim meet. Nor was he scared.

Allen, however, did feel pretty fast.

In a race where nothing mattered beyond the bravery of the athlete and the grins that followed, Allen, a special-needs junior at Chatfield, swam the 50-yard freestyle March 12 for the Chargers. Not the Chatfield Unified team, mind you, which Allen competes for in basketball, but the full varsity.

“I probably did pretty good,” Allen said at the Ridge. “I broke a 56.”

The owner of the property that houses the troubled Mr. Biggs entertainment center is trying to distance the business from its recent history of run-ins with the Jeffco Sheriff’s Office.

Following a March 4 liquor-license hearing that halted alcohol sales at the entertainment center, building owner George Shakiban said a new tenant is being sought and that the business will henceforth cater specifically to families. But even though rowdy club nights and late-night concerts are a thing of the past, Shakiban said, the fate of Mr.

DENVER — It took three overtimes to vanquish Chatfield High’s boys lacrosse team at Colorado Academy on March 18, but the 6-5 thriller showed the Chargers will be a force this year.

“(There were) two good defenses who just battled it throughout the game. Sometimes things don’t work out, but we played hard and can walk away with our heads held high,” Chatfield head coach Kyle Lambert said.

“It’s a bond that the best players in the NHL have with people like me. Doing it with the wind blowing in your face, and doing it when you’re 10 years old, and until your feet are freezing. It’s just the most wonderful thing I could ever think of.”

— Fred Haberman, founder, U.S. Pond Hockey Championships

INDIAN HILLS — The local herd of deer didn’t show up for the final morning of skating on Martin Richardson’s rink this month.

LAKEWOOD — Columbine sophomore forward Ember Albertson learned that if at first you don’t succeed, try again … and again.

The forward was stoned not once, but twice by Rampart goalie Katie Ruff from point-blank range and missed several shots wide of the net, but with just over 18 minutes remaining in the game, she finally got the best of Ruff and fired home the game-winning goal in a 2-1 Rebel victory on March 12 at Lakewood Memorial Field.

This week marks the halfway point of the Colorado General Assembly’s 120-day 2010 session. The state’s fiscal woes have dominated the session to this point. The legislature has adopted a package of bills that raised revenues by eliminating a variety of tax exemptions as well as approving a 32-bill package that reduced spending by state agencies for the current fiscal year that ends June 30.